How to Identify Termite Tubes
When foraging termites are looking for food (cellulose/wood) they often come across barriers they need to overcome in order to reach wood on the other side. To bridge this gap, termites create shelter tubes that allow the them to leave the protective soil to reach the wood they require to survive.
Why do termites build mud tubes?
Shelter tubes protect termites from predators like ants and also protects termites from air circulation, as termites are soft bodied insects and as a result, would dry out if exposed to the outside air. Termites create shelter tubes by using “mud”. A combination of wood, soil, termite saliva and termite feces.
Identification
What are the different types of shelter tubes?
Exploratory Tubes
The most common type of termite shelter tube is the exploratory tube. It is thin and can branch off in many different directions. This tube can often be abandoned by termites and therefore takes on a dry and brittle appearance and breaks easily when touched. If it’s an active tube it will be moist, and if you break it, you will likely see white termite workers and soldiers rushing in to repair the break and protect themselves from intruders.
Working Tubes
If an exploratory shelter tube reaches an ideal wood food source it will widen and be reinforced, becoming a working tube. These tubes, also known as utility tubes, allow hundreds to thousands of termites to move from the colony to the food source and back. Utility tubes can range from 1 centimetre up to 3 centimetres and can be wider in some circumstances.
Drop Tubes
The final type of tube is a drop tube, it provides the termites with a direct root from wood to the soil below. This tube is usually located in a sheltered environment, like a crawlspace. It is easily identifiable as it resembles stalagmites in caves. This tube is lighter in colour than exploratory or working tubes because it contains more wood fibers than the other tubes.
Swarm Tubes
A swarm tube is created by the worker termites in order to provide some structure to a very chaotic environment when termite swarmer’s leave the colony for their mating flight.
Pictures of Termite Tubes
